International Chopin Piano Competition, Warsaw, review

Yulianna Avdeeva has scored a spectacular success. As first female winner of the International Fryderyk Chopin Competition since Martha Argerich triumphed in now-legendary fashion in 1965, the 25-year-old Russian pianist consistently led the field over a gruellingly intense three-week period, in terms of sheer passion and musicianship, not to mention technical security.

Yet when the result was announced, it still caused controversy: such is the stiffness of competition here, and such was the support a couple of other leading contenders enjoyed.

Unlike many other famous contests, the Chopin Competition always produces notable victors. With names such as Argerich, Maurizio Pollini and Krystian Zimerman among its laureates, it is inextricably linked to modern pianistic history. At Warsaw's Philharmonic Hall many distinguished careers have been launched.

As the world's oldest music competition, it also boasts the highest standards, one outcome of its monographic nature: the 10 pianists who reach the final stage (performing a concerto with the Warsaw Philharmonic) play four hours of Chopin under the scrutiny of the 12-member jury, packed halls and live television coverage.

The Chopin Competition is a national event in Poland, the subject of public debate followed everywhere. It's hard to imagine that happening in Britain – or in most other countries, for that matter.

Founded in 1927 but interrupted by wartime destruction of the city, the competition has a sense of history that was aptly reflected by this year's jury. Though Argerich's presence lent perhaps more excitement, the most senior winner on duty here was Bella Davidovich, who took the prize home for the Soviet Union in 1949.

Normally held every five years, the next competition after that was shifted to 1955 to allow for rebuilding of both the Philharmonic Hall and the Warsaw Philharmonic itself – making it possible for the latest edition to become the climax of this year's Chopin bicentenary celebrations.

Adam Harasiewicz, the 1955 winner and that most patrician of Chopin players, was present again this year; he beat Vladimir Ashkenazy into second place and Fou T'song into third. The first in a wave of Asian players to have enjoyed success in Warsaw, Fou was back on the jury this year, along with other previous laureates including Dang Thai-Son (1980) and Kevin Kenner (1990).

Avdeeva's 2010 win was a close-run thing and many in the audience favoured Austria's Ingolf Wunder, who placed joint second with the Russian-Lithuanian Lukas Geniusas. Wunder produced the most exquisitely poised Chopin sound, characterised by bel canto elegance, and it is hard to imagine a finer account of the Polonaise-Fantasie than his in Warsaw.

This year's other laureates were Russia's Daniil Trifonov (third), Bulgaria's Evgeni Bozhanov (fourth) and France's François Dumont (fifth). Bozhanov was the most interesting of this group, but inclined towards grandstanding gestures. Among the unplaced finalists, I particularly admired the poetic playing of France's Hélène Tysman.

Having spent a fortnight in Warsaw listening – from the competition's second stage onwards – to nothing but Chopin, sometimes for up to nine hours a day, I heard many other pianists worthy of mention. Notable talents among those knocked out earlier were Poland's Marek Bracha, China's Fei-Fei Dong, Ukraine's Anna Fedorova, Australia's Jayson Gillham and Japan's Airi Katada.

But Avdeeva deserved her €30,000 prize and is clearly equipped for the engagements that will follow from it – one of the first being this Wednesday's Queen Elizabeth Hall recital.

Her playing is spontaneous and volatile in the best sense, full of depth and colour. In the big works heard here, such as the B flat minor Sonata and E minor Concerto, she took total command of her instrument and gave the competition's best displays of thrilling pianism.

Yulianna Avdeeva, QEH, London SE1 (0844 875 0073), Nov 3

This review also appears in Seven magazine, free with The Sunday Telegraph